WEDU News

WEDU and New College of Sarasota Host Free Community Cinema Screening of “Half the Sky”

September 10, 2012 (Tampa, FL) – The linked problems of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality — which needlessly claim one woman every 90 seconds — presents to us the single most vital opportunity of our time: the opportunity to make a change. All over the world women are seizing this opportunity.

WEDU, west central Florida’s primary PBS station, announces a new season of Community Cinema starting with a film that travels 10 countries on a journey to tell the stories of inspiring, courageous individuals.

The exclusive preview screening of Half the Sky will be held on Thursday, September 20th in the Mildred Sainer Pavilion on the New College Campus in Sarasota. Doors will open at 5:30pm with the film beginning at 6:00pm. A town hall discussion will follow the film. This event is free and open to the public, however due to limited seating, reservations are requested. Tickets can be reserved online at wedu.org/cinema.

The first film of the season, Half the Sky, follows New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and celebrity advocates America Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Gabrielle Union and Olivia Wilde, as they meet inspiring individuals and discover how they’re confronting the oppression of women and girls. The special, based on the widely acclaimed book Half the Sky by columnist Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, reveals the real, meaningful solutions being fashioned through health care, education and economic empowerment for women and girls.

WEDU is proud to host a new season of free screenings, featuring films from the Emmy Award-winning PBS series, Independent Lens. The screenings, held monthly throughout Tampa Bay, will be followed by lively panel or town hall discussions to encourage dialogue and action around important and timely social issues.